How to Avoid Scams for Government Grants

There's a lot of misinformation out there about government grants. One of the main ones is that the federal government gives away billions of dollars to people starting businesses. This is not true. The amount of money the federal government grants to small businesses is zero. Avoid getting scammed by people claiming to offer you information on how to get government grants.

Instructions

1. Never pay for information or "lists" of government grants. This information is always available free of charge from the government.

2. You can get free information on grants you qualify for depending on the types of grants you are looking for. For student grants, go to the U.S. Department of Education. For business grants (not startup grants -- these are not given by the federal government) go to Grants.gov or the Small Business Administration. For VA grants and benefits, go to the Veteran's Administration site. For housing grants, HUD.gov has information. Most other types of grants and benefits for U.S. citizens can be found by searching GovBenefits.gov.

3. If you are scammed, report it immediately to the Attorney General's Office. This watchdog agency receives thousands of reports on these types of scams. While they generally cannot help you get your money back, you can talk to your credit card company about getting back money you've lost by a government grant scam.